1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to an animal fence or barrier for use in a vehicle, and more specifically to a connector which allows for rapid adjustment and securement of the fence along two axes.
2. Related Art
Pets commonly accompany their owners during travel in an automobile. In some instances, the pet is simply placed in the vehicle with the owner and is allowed to roam freely within the interior of the vehicle. On the other hand, some pets are placed within a cage in the back seat or cargo area of the vehicle. Cages may also be used to contain wild animals during transport in a vehicle.
Although these practices allow the pet/animal to remain in the vehicle with the owner/driver, such practices suffer from several deficiencies. For instance, if the animal is left uncontained in the vehicle, the animal may cause damage to itself, the driver, or passengers in the vehicle. In particular, the unpredictable behavior of an animal may startle the driver and cause an accident. The animal may also become scared or agitated by the driving or by passing objects, causing the animal to bound about the vehicle interior. However, if the animal is caged, the cage may be too small or confining for the animal.
Therefore, certain barriers have been developed which may be constructed within the vehicle to define an area within the vehicle within which the animal may be contained while in the vehicle. The barrier may separate the animal from the driver and passengers, while at the same time provide more space for the animal than a conventional cage. Many conventional barriers include both horizontal and vertical members, which are joined by a connector.
Although such barriers provide certain advantages over simply letting the animal roam throughout the entire vehicle or by confining the animal to a conventional cage, many existing barriers do not allow for easy adjustability to conform the barrier to the specific dimensions of the vehicle. Along these lines, the size of the barrier may need to be adjustable for use in a sedan, hatchback, SUV, minivan, conversion van, cargo van, or other types of vehicle.
A common deficiency associated with many prior art connectors is that such connectors generally do not allow for easy and rapid length adjustment of both the horizontal and vertical members. Rather, many connectors include a first locking mechanism which must be released for adjustment of the vertical member, and a second locking mechanism which must be released from adjustment of the horizontal member. Thus, adjustment of the barrier in two directions would require a two-step process.
Therefore, there exists a need for an improved connector for use in an animal barrier which allows for easy adjustability of the animal barrier in both the horizontal and vertical directions to conform the sized of the barrier to the sized of the vehicle.